Local News Story: 61 year old diabetic woman

[The J]

So is $1336 a month enough to live on including a car in that area? A car is necessary in most parts of Cali the last time I was there to get a job or even grocery shop. Has this changed?

It's not if you have a $400/month car payment. Of course, that's not a requirement of having a car....

[Plain Old Petunia]

BeachBum, this part of the article is why I stated "immediately moved in with a friend":


The longtime Modesto-area resident commuted and then briefly lived in the Bay Area, and when the company downsized, she returned to the valley and her friend took her in.

It sounds immediate to me. Though you are right, it doesn't give the timeframe.

I do live in Modesto, and 53k would be a nice raise for me. That is why I was shocked she had NO savings. Granted, the article didn't state she had no savings, I'm assuming that if she had some, she wouldn't be going without her medication.

It would be hard to get around here without a car. My nephew does it (bicycle and city bus, with an occasional ride from Auntie Petunia).

[973beachbum]

Petunia, The reason I think it is not immediately is because it says she exhausted her 6 months of medical benefits and then went without medical insurance for a year. That is a year and a half right there. I don't know but it sounds like she hung on and then moved in with friends. It also said she stopped health insurance and didn't take her meds for her Diabetes and High Blood Pressure for a year. I would think she did that to pay her rent/mortgage as long as possible. It wouldn't be the first time that an article wasn't well written.

J, I know a car isn't a necessity but it sure is pretty necessary if you need to find a job in most of this country! I have been to California and it isn't exactly a pedestrian nirvana. I also said that she should have dumped the car with the payment and used her savings on a used car that wouldn't require expensive auto insurance either. But just because people living in NYC or San Fransisco have great public transportation doesn't mean the rest of the country does cause I know my area sure doesn't.

[Mardi Gras Audrey]

Beach, you are right about needing a car there. The thing is that she was making a whole lot more than the median household income and she was single!

"The median income for a household in the county (Stanislaus-where Turlock is) was $40,101, and the median income for a family was $44,703. Males had a median income of $36,969 versus $26,595 for females."

If she couldn't pay off her car and cut her bills, that is on her. She lives in an area that is full of cheap housing and is primarily agriculture and bedroom communities for the Bay Area. When I lived there ~10 years ago, I topped out at $29k and lived nicely (I had a brand new car that I paid off in 1.5 years, was taking several out of state vacations each year, was putting ~$5k a year in a 401k, and was paying all of the costs for university and had a small emergency fund). I know that I am fortunate because I was able to do that and "no one else could possibly have my good luck" but come on.... I know many people out in that area who would kill for a job that paid much and they manage to make it (even with kids).

I know many people in that area right now on UI and are managing to support themselves, their house payts, and their kids without crying to the Modesto Bee. I wish her all the best but she needs to do a little self reflection about how she got into this mess...

[973beachbum]

Beach, you are right about needing a car there. The thing is that she was making a whole lot more than the median household income and she was single!

That's true. We always say if we didn't have kids living here wouldn't be so difficult to live here either on a modest income. I know plenty of families by me in NJ that live on 50K or a little more. They don't live in a huge house or drive a new car but they do make it work. I used to have family that lived in the Chico and San Jose area. Most are gone now but it was before the dot com thing so it was pretty reasonable then. I think her problems have more to do with her health than income. She doesn't sound in the article like a healthy woman. Health insurance here is a whole nother story! That would probably cost 20K a year all on it's own for someone with her issues.

She does appear to have nice friends though. I would count that as a lot. Then again I am a beach bum. We tend to be laid back by nature.

[sapphire12]

Nothing about this article should come as a surprise. People don't save for a multitude of reasons. People also don't make their health a priority when they are young, again for a multitude of reasons. She and many others are where they are because of their choices. Unfortunately, we don't make holistic decisions. Time waits for no one. Based on statistics, many will live to see 70. It is possible to live a little today, while still preparing for tomorrow. How many 20 somethings are preparing for tomorrow?

[The J]

J, I know a car isn't a necessity but it sure is pretty necessary if you need to find a job in most of this country! I have been to California and it isn't exactly a pedestrian nirvana. I also said that she should have dumped the car with the payment and used her savings on a used car that wouldn't require expensive auto insurance either. But just because people living in NYC or San Fransisco have great public transportation doesn't mean the rest of the country does cause I know my area sure doesn't.

I never said that a car wasn't a necessity. I said a $400/month car payment wasn't a necessity. There's a huge difference between those two statements.